When a band decides to change direction in musical style, fans may sometimes cry 'sellout!? and refuse to give the new music a chance.

For a band like England's Paradise Lost, that possibility has appeared on more than one occasion, as they are definitely a band of much change.

Their first release, Lost Paradise, in 1990 revolutionized what would become known as ?doom metal". The slow, trudging dirges generated a large underground following for then-teenagers Nick Holmes , Greg Mackintosh , Aaron Aedy , Stephen Edmondson and Matthew Archer .

Even though not many will agree with this statement, "Symbol Of Life" is, to me, Paradise Lost's best album. I could go back in their career and pick albums with distinct characteristics that do, most definitely, stand on their own as solid and original works, but that don't quite effectively transmit to me the sad atmosphere their simple song writing can bring as well as "Symbol Of Life" does. I won't say this one represents everything Paradise Lost has done in their career, because it doesn't, but it sure is their most varied and multi layered album - whether you like this sound or not is a different subject. The truth is that, even though it is also their heaviest album since "Draconian Times" (songs like "Two Worlds," "Self-Obsessed," or "Channel For The Pain" prove it), it is still very much dependent of the electronic influences and generally much mellower rockish style of "One Second" and "Host."

I don't know what they wanted to do, but they made an album with a sound similar to some groups that do Nu-Metal or mix Metal with electronic music, like Rammstein. It is definitely a less Metal sound than in their previous releases, this sounds more Rock than Metal. However, I can say that the vocals are still good and there are good guitar riffs, but it's fucked by the fucking electronic ambient. When we listen to this album, we'll think that we're in space or in a videogame like The Matrix...

Of all Paradise Lost's electronic album I like this one the least. It moves me little... One second has it's grey autumn blissful depression feel, the self titled expands on it and has lot's of heart to it. Belief In Nothing has it's summer melancholy and Host it's Depeche mode vibe. This... has little, it's still pretty decent and it's way better than Lost Paradise and Shades of God, but potential got wasted here...

Written by Pétur on 24.12.2009 at 19:32it's way better than Lost Paradise and Shades of God.

Urgh, hell no. Some their best metal albums by far and definitely best overall along with Draconian Times. The only electronic albums worth something would be One Second and Host. This one has barely a couple of tracks that are good. Erased is probably the best song here.